“Congratulations,” I said, even though my heart sank at the thought of her leaving. “You must be really excited.”
“The hotel is undergoing some renovations, so I won’t go until early October, but yes—I’m excited. I think it will be good for me.” She paused. “I think maybe I need a change.”
“Change can be good.” Her hair was all combed out, but I kept brushing it. “Bree said my father wants to see us. He’s got terminal lung cancer. That’s what upset me on Monday.”
“Oh.” She put a hand on my leg. “I’m really sorry, Dex.”
“The last time I saw him was at my mother’s funeral. That was seven years ago. He hadn’t been around before that in years—she had breast cancer and went through treatment alone. Then he showed up all sad and somber, like he gave a fuck.”
She didn’t say anything. Her silence was inviting, and the fact that I could talk without eye contact helped too.
“I guess he’s sober and remarried now. Bree is in touch with his new wife. She asked if we’d consider reconciling with him.”
“That’s got to be a tough decision.”
I exhaled. “Bree feels bad for him. I don’t know if I do or not. What does that say about me?”
“It says you were very hurt by him as a child. And that your feelings are complicated.”
“Yeah.” I watched the bristles slide through her hair. “Bree has always been more forgiving than me. She’s like our mom was.”
“You make being forgiving sound like a bad thing.”
I frowned. “It is where my father is concerned. You can’t trust him to mean what he says. How do we even know he really has cancer?”
“Dex,” she said softly.
But I dug in deeper. “I will never allow him near my children. He forfeited that right years ago.”
“He wants to see the girls too?”
“Yes. And Bree’s kids. She said she’s thinking about it.” I dropped my arms. “But I can’t. And I won’t feel bad about it. I’m protecting them.”
“That’s your right as a father.”
I sighed, tipping my forehead against the back of her head. How did she know exactly what I needed to hear? Again, I was really fucking sad she was moving away. And I didn’t want to think about my family anymore.
Winnie took the brush from my hand and set it aside, then surprised me by circling my wrists and wrapping my arms around her like a blanket. “You’re a good dad, Dex.”
“But I’m a shitty friend.”
“Oh, I don’t know. This was a pretty nice apology.”
“I had to make things right with you. Your face was haunting me.”
She laughed gently. “Good.”
Her hair smelled so nice, I couldn’t resist burying my nose in it and inhaling. Or sliding one hand inside her robe. Or pressing my lips to her shoulder. “So have I?”
“Have you what?” she whispered as I moved her hair aside and kissed the back of her neck.
“Made things right.”
“I mean, you’re on the right track . . .” She tilted her head, allowing me to devour one side of her throat. “But it might take some more effort.”
“Yeah?” I pulled the belt on her robe loose and moved both hands to her breasts. She arched her back, pushing them into my hands.
“Dex,” she whispered. “Do you want to come upstairs?”
Without hesitation, I stood up, sweeping her into my arms and heading for the stairs. “How’s this for effort?”
She gasped and looped her arms around my neck. “This is such good effort. Don’t stop.”
I carried her up the stairs. “Last time I came up here, your smoke alarm was going off.”
“This time there’s a real fire,” she murmured, kissing the side of my neck.
I entered her bedroom and placed her on the bed, then opened up her robe and slid her underwear off. Her blinds were open, and moonlight spilled in through the windows, bathing her skin in silver. “Finally. God, you’re beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
I took off my shirt and ditched my pants in record time. Then I climbed onto her bed and stretched out above her, my cock thick and hard between us. “I’ve been thinking about this for days.”
“Me too.” She wrapped her legs around me and slid her hands into my hair. “I would lie here at night and think of you one wall over, and wish you were here. Of course, that was before I got mad at you.”
“I’m here now,” I told her. “And I won’t leave until we’re friends again—no matter what it takes.” Then I stopped moving. “Fuck!”
“What?” She realized before I even said it. “Oh—no condom.”
“No condom.” I started to pull back, but she held on to me.
“Wait,” she said. “I’m okay if you are. I’m on the pill.”
“I haven’t been with anyone since my divorce—and actually a while before that.”
“Then don’t stop,” she whispered, kissing my jaw as she tightened her legs around me. “We’re not quite friends yet.”
Eighteen
Winnie
That night, Dex was surprisingly tender.
I wasn’t sure if it was because he was still trying to make amends or he was just revealing another side of himself, but either way, it was different than it had been before.
He used his mouth on me first—kissing his way from my toes all the way up the backs of my legs and along my inner thighs. He licked me slowly and softly, gently sweeping his tongue over my clit or tracing little circles around it, barely using any pressure at all. He used his fingers too, but didn’t push them in deep. Instead, he teased me with light, shallow strokes, ignoring my impatient wriggling beneath his touch. And he brought his hands to my breasts, brushing his thumbs over my nipples as I arched and writhed, trying to get him to give me what I wanted.
“Dex,” I whimpered, sliding my fingers into his hair. “Don’t tease me.”
He laughed gently, but moved his tongue faster and harder, pinching my nipples, sucking my clit into his mouth.
I came so hard I saw stars, and before I could even breathe again, I was reaching beneath his arms to drag him up my body, frantic with the need to feel him driving into me the way he had before—uncontrollably, desperately, ferociously—but this time with no barrier between us.
But he refused to rush, easing inside me with deliciously slow, measured strokes, giving me a little more each time. When he was buried to the hilt, his eyes closed, like this was heaven to him and nothing had ever felt so good. I inhaled deeply, drunk on the scent of his skin and the way he filled me and the masculine weight of his hips between my thighs. Running my hands down his back over his round, muscular ass, I pulled him in deeper. He groaned and crushed his lips to mine, kissing me passionately before he began to move.
There’s nothing between us, I thought blissfully. We’re as close as two people can possibly be.
And I felt myself unraveling in a way that wasn’t just physical.